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Primary Times Birmingham
Be inspired to illustrate with…
Nick Sharratt
Primary Times teams up with renowned illustrator, Nick Sharratt, to show the
wonders of stretching a child’s imagination through drawing
PRIMARY TIMES EXCLUSIVE
Nick Sharratt is the artist behind
hundreds of beloved children’s book
characters created by authors including
Jacqueline Wilson, Julia Donaldson,
Jeremy Strong, as well as timeless
fairy-tale characters and characters of
his own creation – his personal
favourites being Timothy Pope and his
dad in ‘Shark in the Park’.
As an advocate of creative expression,
Nick has always had a passion
for drawing.
“I’ve loved making pictures for as long as
I can remember. It always felt incredibly
natural and enjoyable for me. I was the
artist of the class at school, and I was
very happy with that role!”
Whether it was for school or a
competition he’d found on a box of
cereal, Nick took drawing seriously and
encourages other children to do the same.
“Young children are brilliant at picture
making, but they can quickly become
self – conscious about it. I think
everyone has the potential to draw. It’s
a brilliant activity to do; it involves all
kinds of thought processes, and as with
everything, you have to work at it if you
want to improve. I used to be a
perfectionist and start a drawing, do a
few lines, then turn the page and start
again. I’d go through a whole pad that
way! But I taught myself to complete
my pictures and even if the drawing was
not quite what I’d expected, it gave me a
sense of achievement.”
Starting out as a magazine illustrator,
Nick has now illustrated over a hundred
books and written more than fifty of his
own. But, how does he do it?
“By the time I’ve read the manuscript,
I’ve got a clear idea of what the
character will look like as it seeps into
the story. When I’m working with
Jacqueline (Wilson), I just try and create
a visual interpretation from Jacky’s description.
There will always be mentions
of the character’s size, hair, dressing
style etc within the story. I spend a lot of
time thinking about hairstyles for my
characters, as hair can really reflect the
character’s nature.”
Having achieved his childhood aspiration
of becoming a professional artist, Nick
encourages children to find joy in art too.
“It’s so important to find time for drawing
and story-telling at a young age, as more
than anything else it’s fun! It’s a fabulous
way to stretch your imagination as
a child.
“When I used to go into schools it was
brilliant to see a classroom with art on
the walls. I think it’s good for children to
be shown how to draw things by their
parents or teachers or via YouTube.
There are lots of videos demonstrating
how to draw a character sharing top tips
such as starting with the shape of the
face. Group drawing activities are also
fantastic, where everyone contributes to
a picture so it’s a team effort.”
Illustrations in books are a great way to
grip the reader and create a memorable
story. “When I think of the books I had as
a child, the words are a bit hazy but the
pictures come back sharply in my
memory. Children interact with visual
images in a really direct and intense way
and it’s amazing to think that my
illustrations might be enjoyed like that.”
Nick’s top tip for aspiring artists is simple,
keep drawing!
Discover more of Nick’s tips and tricks
from his YouTube films and book ‘How
to Draw the world of Jacqueline Wilson’
(Random House Children’s Books) and
keep up to date with his latest books at
www.nicksharratt.com
www.primarytimes.co.uk/birmingham | FEBRUARY HALF TERM 2020 9